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Year 1:
- Thursday, April 3, 2025, 10-11:30 a.m.
Closeouts 101
Presenters:
Jen Crockett, MBA, MPA, Sr. Grants and Contracts Analyst, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Tamara Hill, PhD, CRA, Associate Vice President, Research Operations and Finance, Morehouse School of Medicine
Closeouts are a key part of the award lifecycle. However, it is often the lowest on the list of priorities. This oversight results in the creation of a backlog and can have financial consequences for the institution. Come join us for an interactive session to learn more about why closeouts are important and how to properly prepare for the closeout stage of the award.
- Tuesday, June 24, 2025, 10-11:30 a.m.
You're Spending How Much Time on That?
Effort management and certification for faculty and staff
Presenter:
Patrick Lennon, MPA, CRA, Administrator for Research, Department of Pediatrics, UW Medicine, University of Washington; NCURA Region VI 2025 Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
Tracking faculty and staff effort and maintaining compliance with applicable regulations can feel like a never-ending challenge in research administration. In some cases, research administrators end up responsible for overseeing non-research effort as well simply because there is research involved. We'll review the challenges associated with effort management and discuss strategies for success.
- Tuesday, July 29, 2025, 10-11:30 a.m.
The Audit Games: May the Findings Be Ever in Your Favor
Presenter:
Kim Melville-Smith, MS, MBA, CRA, CFRA, Director of Post-Award, Office of Sponsored Programs, Colorado State University
As the landscape of university research continues to evolve, so do the risks and compliance responsibilities that research administrators must manage. This session will explore emerging audit trends and hot topics affecting sponsored research. Attendees will gain practical insights into common audit findings, evolving regulatory expectations, and strategies to proactively strengthen compliance. Real-world case studies will highlight both challenges and successful responses, equipping research administrators with tools to better support their institutions.
Year 2:
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Thursday, February 5, 2026, 9 -10 a.m.
Leading through Change with Emotional Intelligence
Presenter:
Dr. Kris Monahan, Chief Research Administration Officer, Office of Research Administration, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the capacity to understand, manage, and utilize emotions effectively in yourself and others. It involves self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. These skills are crucial for effective communication, establishing healthy relationships, and achieving success in both personal and professional domains. EI empowers individuals to navigate social complexities, lead with empathy, and enhance overall well-being.
Join us for a compelling presentation on Emotional Intelligence (EI), where we will delve into the key skills required for recognizing, understanding, managing, and influencing emotions both in yourself and others. This presentation aims to offer an introduction to Emotional Intelligence and suggestions for using emotional intelligence when leading through change in research administration.
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Thursday, April 16, 2026, 11 a.m.-noon
Subawards
Presenter:
Megan Reed, Sr. Grants and Contracts Administrator, Office of Sponsored Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
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Thursday, June 11, 2026, 10-11 a.m.
AI in Research Administration
Presenter:
Nathan Wiggins, SPARC Data Scientist, Sponsored Programs, Agreements, Research, and Contracts Office, Southern Utah University
The Artificial Intelligence for Research Administration (AI4RA) project is an NSF GRANTED funded project that is dedicated to developing open-source AI and data science tools to improve research administration processes. By integrating data science and AI in a thoughtful, tested manner, AI4RA aims to create a transformative framework for efficient, data-driven research administration that can be adopted widely by institutions across the nation. In this Town Hall, Nathan Wiggins, a Research Administration Data Scientist at Southern Utah University will provide an update on the project's progress and provide a basic training on strategies that individuals and departments can implement instantly to increase their comfortability and skill using artificial intelligence.